WR 327 Technical Report Writing: Regional, State, and Local
Why Government Information?
Sometimes a policy or an improvement you want to recommend involves a larger community than just your workplace. Sometimes practices or policies you can adopt may be informed by government reports, maps, data, statutes, municipal codes, and so on. You may need to draw on information provided you various agencies of government. This page helps to steer you to Oregon sources.
Oregon Resources
- Oregon Blue BookThe official state directory and fact book about all levels of government in Oregon. Published since 1911, it is produced and updated by the Oregon State Archives.
Overviews of all aspects of the State of Oregon government and other public institutions.
- Oregon EncyclopediaA comprehensive and authoritative compendium of information about Oregon's history and culture.
Laws, Rules and Regulations
Oregon laws and regulations are available online, however the official version is in print. Find these in the library on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors:
- Oregon Revised Statutes: call number L/L52/4.6R32 (4th floor in Oregon Documents)
- Oregon Laws (Current and special sessions): call number KFO2425 .A2 (3rd floor)
- Oregon Administrative Rules: call number REF J87 .O735 (3rd floor)
- Oregon Revised Statutes (1999-2015 Archive)Revised statutes of Oregon. Keyword-searchable and fully indexed.
- Oregon Revised Statutes (2015)Full text of 2015 Oregon Revised Statutes hosted by OregonLaws.org.
- Oregon Bills & Laws - Oregon LegislatureAccess to Oregon bills & laws from 2007 to the present online. NEW for 2012: older volumes of the Oregon Revised Statutes are being scanned for online access. Look under "Selected Archives of the Oregon Revised Statutes"
- Oregon Bills and Laws - State Legislature site on Internet ArchiveArchived version of the Oregon State Legislature Bills and Laws website containing information on legislative measures dating back to 1995.
- Oregon Session Laws - HeinOnlineIncludes laws passed in each session starting in 1841, prior to Oregon statehood.
- Oregon Administrative Rules (state website)Hosted by the Oregon State Archives, this site provides access to the Oregon Administrative Rules, also known as OARs. A rule is defined as any agency directive, standard, regulation, or statement of general applicability that implements, interprets, or prescribes law or policy, or describes the procedure or practice requirements of any agency.
- Oregon Administrative Rules (Nexis Uni Search)Search current rules with advanced tools via LexisNexis; search across multiple state codes and regulation sets.
- Oregon Voters' PamphletsCollection of digitized voters' pamphlets -- Special elections (1913 to present), Primary elections (2004 to present)
General elections, Marion County (1904 to present). Pamphlets include text of measures, explanatory statements, and arguments for and against as well as biographical information on candidates running for office. - Researching Oregon Laws - Creating A Legislative HistoryFrom Lewis & Clark Law Schools' Boley Library, a good outline for researching the history of a particular law in Oregon.
- State Agency Histories (Archives Division)Researching state law and regulations? Review agency histories and record retention schedules here.
- Oregon Historical State Statutes (HeinOnline)Includes 13 different compilations of past Oregon statutes,
Data, Statistics and Maps
- PortlandMapsCreated by the City of Portland to provide a new way of accessing public data, including Census data, building permits, crime data, and more.
- Oregon Explorer: Natural Resources Digital LibraryOregon Explorer provides a web-based natural resources digital library by integrating data from state and federal agencies, local governments, university scientists, and citizens. A collaboration between Oregon State University Libraries and the Institute for Natural Resources.
- Oregon Geospatial Data Clearinghouse (OGDC)The OGDC helps to coordinate GIS activities in the state, facilitates communication about GIS issues, and maintains the website that hosts statewide geospatial data for the State of Oregon.
- Data Resource Center, Metro Regional GovernmentMetro’s Data Resource Center provides state-of-the-art mapping, spatial analysis, regional economic analysis and demographic forecasting for Metro, its regional partners, businesses and the public. Use "MetroMap" map viewer online.
Area Governments
Click to Search all state websites
Counties:
Multnomah | Washington | Clackamas | Clark (WA) | All Oregon Counties
Cities: Portland | Vancouver, WA | Salem | Eugene | More...
Access Washington (state web portal)
For more regional information see:
Pacific Northwest State and Local Resources
Planning & Community Data
- Index to Current Urban Documents (ICUD)The ICUD is the only regularly published guide to the reports and research that are generated by local government agencies, civic organizations, academic and research organizations, public libraries, and metropolitan and regional planning agencies in approximately 500 selected cities in the United States and Canada.
- Population Resource Center (at PSU)The host of the Oregon State Data Center as well as primary local partner with the US Census Bureau, the PRC provides updated population data for state and local jurisdictions and more.
- Oregon Sustainable Community Digital LibraryArchives a central online repository of key urban planning documents on the Portland Metropolitan area. Includes planning reports, digital images, and other grey literature.
State Agency Databases
- State Agency DatabasesIn every US State and the District of Columbia, agencies are creating databases of useful information - information on businesses, licensed professionals, plots of land, even dates of fish stocking. Some of this content is available on search engines, but much of it is part of the invisible web. Since July 2007, librarians and other government information specialists have been working on identifying and annotating these databases in order to have them accessible in one place.